Lateral Dough Spreading Device with Horizontal Grit Conveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dough spreading devices in the food industry have a large overall height due to the need for a high grit housing, making them difficult to install between stacked conveyor devices and requiring frequent refilling, as the grit transport relies primarily on gravity.
Innovation Solution
A spreading device with a lateral storage container and transverse conveying device that moves grit horizontally into a grit housing, combined with a return conveyor device to form a circuit, reducing the device's height and eliminating dead zones, and using a common drive motor for the conveying screws to minimize costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the grit housing is arranged vertically above the spreading roller to enable gravity-based grit transport, then the grit supply is sufficient, but the overall height of the device becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a vertical arrangement to a lateral arrangement by positioning the storage container beside the spreading roller instead of above it. A transverse conveying device (screw conveyor) horizontally transports grit from the storage container to the spreading roller, changing the transport direction from vertical to horizontal and thereby reducing the device's overall height while maintaining adequate grit supply.
2Length of stationary object
If the grit housing height is reduced to fit between stacked conveyor devices, then the device can be installed, but the grit supply becomes insufficient requiring frequent refilling
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging the storage container laterally beside the spreading roller and using horizontal transport via screw conveyor, the patent creates space for a larger storage capacity in the horizontal direction. This allows the grit housing to be shorter vertically (fitting between conveyor devices) while maintaining or even increasing the overall grit supply duration through expanded lateral storage volume.
3Device complexity
If gravity-based transport is used without additional conveying mechanisms, then the device structure is simple, but dead zones form in the grit housing where grit accumulates
Solution Approach 1:
The transverse screw conveyor introduces horizontal movement to complement gravity-based vertical flow. This dual-directional approach (horizontal conveying + vertical gravity flow) eliminates dead zones by continuously moving grit through the system, ensuring reliable and continuous grit supply to the spreading roller without requiring complex additional mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for a more compact and efficient dough spreading device that can be easily integrated between conveyor belts, reducing the need for frequent refilling and minimizing dead zones, while ensuring continuous grit supply without the need for complex sensor systems.
Implementation Method 1
a transverse conveying device (06) which conveys the grit from the discharge opening (10) into the interior of the grit housing (02)
Implementation Method 2
a return conveyor device (17) with which the grit can be conveyed from the grit housing (02) back into the storage container (04)
Implementation Method 3
the grit exits downward under gravity and is thereby transferred to an upwardly facing surface portion of the rotating spreader roller
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a spreading device (01) for a dough processing machine, comprising a rotatably driven spreading roller (03) and a spreading material housing (02) that can be filled with spreading material, in particular flour, wherein the spreading material housing (02) has at least one dispensing opening (12) through which the spreading material can be transferred to an upwardly facing surface section of the rotating spreading roller (03), and wherein the spreading material can be sprinkled from a downwardly facing surface section of the rotating spreading roller (03) onto dough located below, wherein the spreading device (01) comprises a storage container (04) in which a supply of spreading material can be received, wherein the storage container (04) has at least one dispensing opening (10) through which the spreading material can be removed, and wherein the storage container (04) is arranged laterally to the side of the spreading roller (03).and wherein the spreading material can be conveyed from the storage container (04) to the spreading material housing (02) by means of a transverse conveying device (06).